Omega-3 Intake Protects Children Against Myopia Development, finds study
In a recent study published in The British Journal of Ophthalmology it has been found that higher consumption of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω-3 PUFAs) has been associated with lower risk of myopia in children, whereas increased saturated fatty acid (SFA) consumption could increase the risk. Results indicate that nutrition is a significant factor in eye development and vision during childhood and that ω-3 PUFAs can be considered a protective factor against myopia. The study was conducted by Zhang and colleagues.
Short-sightedness (myopia) has emerged as a worldwide public health issue, especially in East Asia, as it keeps on increasing in children. Although factors such as genetics, screen use, and outdoor time are established causes, this research brings to the fore the effect of nutrition—ω-3 PUFAs present commonly in fish and in some plant oils—in determining eye growth.
The research formed part of the Hong Kong Children Eye Study, a population-based study of childhood vision.
• Participants: 1005 Chinese children aged 6-8 years
Diet measured with a validated food-frequency questionnaire. Cycloplegic spherical equivalent (SE) refraction with an autorefractometer. Axial length (AL) with IOL Master. Analyses adjusted for age, sex, body mass index, near-work time, outdoor time, and parental myopia history. The main aim was to assess the associations of dietary ω-3 PUFAs, SFAs, and other nutrients with myopia risk, axial length, and refractive error.
Key Findings
Omega-3 PUFAs and Axial Length (AL):
• Lower quartile of ω-3 intake: 23.29 mm (95% CI, 23.17–23.40)
• Upper quartile of ω-3 intake: 23.08 mm (95% CI, 22.96–23.19)
• Difference significant (p=0.01; p-trend=0.02)
Omega-3 PUFAs and Refractive Error (SE):
• Lowest quartile: −0.13 D (95% CI, −0.32 to 0.07)
• Highest quartile: 0.23 D (95% CI, 0.03 to 0.42)
• Significant association (p=0.01; p-trend=0.01)
Saturated Fatty Acids (SFA) and Axial Length (AL):
• Highest quartile of SFA intake: 23.30 mm (95% CI, 23.17–23.42)
• Lowest quartile of SFA intake: 23.13 mm (95% CI, 23.01–23.24)
• Significant association (p=0.05; p-trend=0.04)
SFA and Refractive Error (SE):
• Highest quartile: −0.12 D (95% CI, −0.33 to 0.09)
• Lowest quartile: 0.13 D (95% CI, −0.04 to 0.31)
• Near-significant association (p=0.06; p-trend=0.04)
Overall Myopia Risk:
• Lower ω-3 intake was directly associated with higher myopia risk (p-trend=0.006)
• No notable correlations were seen with other nutrients
Higher ω-3 PUFA consumption was found to prevent myopia and higher saturated fat consumption to enhance risk in children at the age of 6 to 8 years. The findings indicate that diet, especially a balance between unhealthy and healthy fats, is associated with myopia development and that encouraging ω-3–enriched diets could hence be an important measure in alleviating the childhood myopia burden.
Reference:
Zhang, X. J., Zhang, Y., Zhang, Y. J., Yu, J., Tang, F. Y., Li, Y., Yeung, S., Kam, K. W., Agrawal, K., Loh, N. C., Ip, P., Wong, I. C., Zhang, W., Young, A. L., Tham, C. C., Pang, C. P., Chen, L. J., & Yam, J. C. (2025). Dietary omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids as a protective factor of myopia: the Hong Kong Children Eye Study. The British Journal of Ophthalmology, bjo-2024-326872.https://doi.org/10.1136/bjo-2024-326872
